Urban Date Night

We've lived on the east side for quite a while now, and up until this point, have failed miserably at our intentions to take full advantage of having the train station located merely one mile down the road, so last Saturday we changed our ways. 

Patrick had no problems fitting right in to the public transit system stereotype......digging for gold with no shame (picture not posed).....

For a couple of weeks I'd had my eye on Park Tavern, a craft beer joint I found in North Dallas, and well, my husband is never opposed to beer. Doesn't he look adorable in his new haircut I gave him? 

Aside from the delicious wheat beers and IPA's, we tried some Animal Tots. WHAT?!?!?! Fried egg on tater tots with cheese and pulled pork?!?! YES! 

Still feeling adventurous, we headed next door to try Boca Chica, a tequila and tapas restaurant that was suspiciously empty. 

We ordered $10 specialty drinks recommended to us by the waiter and almost crapped our pants when he brought out tiny glasses of liquid on a tray, thinking we'd paid premium price for a miniscule excuse of a drink, and sighed a breath of relief we when realized it was just our waters. We laughed together and shared our fears. I'm mean, really, I'd taken shots that big before......

But then he came back with another tray. With the same size glasses. We laughed again; this time in disbelief that our relief was premature. To top it off, both our exotically named drinks tasted blandly terrible and watered down, and although the ceviche was decent and our waiter was great, I would neither recommend this place to a friend or come back to pay top dollar for tiny mediocre tasting portions (I know it was a "tapas" place, but the prices were ridik and this is Texas.)

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to capture a picture of a timed water fountain in action? I'll tell you. So near impossible that we gave up.

When we got back to downtown Plano, we strolled through the muggy night air hand and hand, taking a pit-stop at the tiny little almost run down slightly scary gas station a block from our house to cure an ice-cream craving, then crawled in bed for cuddles and a Netflix movie. I'm not sure what your idea of cheap urban romance is, but I'm pretty sure this was top notch.............. 

How often do you take advantage of your city's public transportation system?

Stumbling Through Life: Wal-lah! (Project Pretty Weeks 22, 23, 24)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

You've probably been wondering why I haven't posted a Project Pretty post in a couple of weeks............

Actually, you probably haven't been wondering at all. I know you, and it's probably completely slipped your mind because you really don't care what I do every week to look this good (just kidding, promise), but I'll fill you in anyway. I haven't been doing anything!! 

That's right. Cooking is as close as I've gotten to physical activity. Why? Because I'm a total klutz, and I'm afraid that when a "bruise" lasts for 3 weeks, moves around, shows no visible discoloration of the skin, and causes a crackle pop feeling deep down inside........it may indicate it's more serious than a bruise. Don't worry, I took my husband's advice after he teased me about ways I've driven myself to stress fractures in the past and made a Orthopedic appointment for Friday. 

Sure, it's just my foot and I know there are tons of other muscles in my body I could be strengthening in the mean time, but in my core, I'm pretty sure I'm an opportunist. This time I pounced on the excuse of taking a break from the boring bicycle routine at the gym (since I had already been doing that to rest my calf strain). And who wants to spend their time doing push ups?!?!? Those things are hard!!!

source

More importantly, cooking is fun and eating is more fun!

Remember yesterday when I talked about being a witch??? That'd be really handy, yet again....

source

Now to the stuff we really care about: something I did in the kitchen. 

I was craving pancakes for breakfast this weekend and had a ton of blueberries in their prime that needed to be eaten, so I decided to try a Paleo version of a comfort food staple. 

Blueberry Sauce Ingredients:

Fresh blueberries

Agave Nectar

Honey

To make the blueberry sauce (I used this as a topper instead of maple syrup and it was an amazing combo of tart and sweet), I simply threw some blueberries in the skillet, drizzled them with half Agave Nectar and Half local organic Honey, and cooked them on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until they burst open  and made a sauce (they get saucier than my picture below, the color just gets darker too and doesn't show well in photographs). 

Even though I'm a pretty avid reader, sometimes I screw up and forget to read important things, like key ingredients in a recipe. Third time's a charm, though!!! Yes, I didn't realize I forgot to add the eggs until the third time I attempted to perfect these pancakes!! Sigh.

 Here's the original recipe (It had the most ingredients, which I typically think deems it the best.)

Paleo Pancakes:

3 eggs

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup mashed rip banana

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp gelatin

pinch sea salt

You want your banana to be a bit ripe.

Just as a warning, these will not pour or look like a typical pancake while you're cooking them. 

And if you turn them before they're ready, you'll end up with a really sloppy shaped taco pancake. 

But if you remember ALL the ingredients (I mixed all the wet ingredients together, then dry ingredients together, then blended them all), you'll end up with puffy yet dense and very filling pancakes that stay together in one piece.......

 .....as opposed to the mound of slop I brought to Patrick for "breakfast in bed" the first time I tried making them, even though he doesn't like breakfast when he first wakes up and thought they looked gross, because let's face it, it was a huge plate of goop, so I ate it all myself since they were really for me anyway, and they still tasted good, not to mention the ingredients aren't what I call cheap, and I didn't slave away my time to just throw them away.....

Cover them in as much antioxidant and anti-allergen rich blueberry sauce as your little heart desires and your morning sweet tooth will be cured. There's so much protein in these you'll stay full for way longer than you ever anticipated a pancake being capable of. 

Have you ever left out a key ingredient from a recipe before? What happened to the dish you were trying to make as a result?

What If I Were A Good Witch?

I'm sure every husband has thought his wife was some form of a witch at one time or another. It's healthy for them to be a tad scared of us.....right? If I were a witch, I'm about 79% sure I'd be a good one, and if that was the case then the term, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!" would take on a whole new meaning!

source

One day in the recent past......

Pat: If you could be a witch, would you?

Me: If it was the non-satanic kind.....If it meant I could be a good witch that still went to heaven one day, then yes. 

Pat: What would you use your powers on?

Me: Oh well...you know....like if you're ever getting on my nerves, but I still wanted you around, I could turn you into something sweet and cuddly that couldn't talk, like a puppy.

Pat: I don't want to be a puppy.

Me: ......

Pat: Now I'm scared.

Me: What? Puppies have the good life. They get to nap and play and cuddle and eat table scraps and run outside in an ordinary world that always seems like an adventure island and they don't have to work. 

Pat: Maybe, but those puppies don't know what it's like to be a human first. 

Me: Well what if you were a Warlock? 

Pat: I don't want to be a Warlock....

Me: But if you were, you could threaten to turn me into something worse if I turned you into a puppy .....but then again, if I knew that, I might not ever turn you back to your Warlock form and then you'd be a puppy forever and ever and that might get boring after a while......having a puppy for a husband.

Pat: Ya, I don't want you to be a witch. Sounds like you would overuse your powers.

source

A few days later while laying in bed.......

Pat: I really want some clementines right now. Too bad they're down stairs. Do you know where the remote is? There's a light on in the hallway, who's going to get up and turn it off?

Me: See, it would be handy for me to be a witch. I could just wiggle my nose and we'd have all of those things taken care of ASAP!!

P.S. Because I'm an awesome wife (and to make up for the fact that I never do laundry), I got up and made him hot tea and took care of all those things no one wanted to get out of bed for!

If you had supernatural powers, what would you do with them?

Suburban Date Night Done Right

There is this whole amazing world revolving around delightful food, and it's been kept a secret from me my entire life. I don't know how long ago this conspiracy started, or who decided to not tell me about this amazing phenomenon, but now that I've been exposed, there's no turning back. 

If you're still in the dark, allow me to shed some light on your life. I'm talking about, traveling Food Truck courts, and not only are there several websites to tell you when and where they are gathering, but some of them also go into detail about the mouthwatering meals on wheels. 

Dallas Eater News

Roaming Hunger Updates

Food Truck Foodie

Food Trucks on Facebook

Last week we met up with Tim and Lara, loaded our group into the suburban, and drove to the local Sprouts parking lot, where every first Tuesday of the month the food trucks gather and influxes the neighborhood hungries with their lawn chairs and cash. We spent some time investigating the overall feel of each truck with our senses and carefully made our choices.

For future reference, if you ever see a Ssahm BBQ truck, it's imperative you order the Kimchee Fries (they're covered in that spicy mayo sauced used on sushi). And if you have more room for fry flavor, the Yellow Belly truck has delicious sweet potato fries with a unique garnish and a dipping sauce that changes the whole game. And to think, all my life I just thought you had to get lucky to come across an event like this........so much precious time wasted!!!

What's left to do on a summer weekday night with a full belly? Go to the pool so the kids can entertain themselves while the adults have a couple of beers, of course! My only regret is not getting a picture of Tim's classic pencil dive!

Did you know about this food truck world?

So Many Questions

Did you know Austin has enforced a bag ban on disposable bags at all retailers? A few other nationwide cities have already jumped on board with this law and I think it's pretty awesome, especially when I go for a drive and find a plastic bag flapping in the wind from a tree limb or caught on the root of a tree in one of my favorite creeks. I won't lie and say I have completely steered away from using bags when I go for large grocery purchases just yet, but I do re-purpose those bags for chores around the house, and I do tote my own reusable bag around for lots of other purchases, or just carry things out with full arms whenever possible. Apparently Dallas has voted against favor for this movement, but there are plans for it to be readdressed. Still, it surprises me when every time I assure the cashier I don't need a bag or take my things out of the bag to give it back to them, their reaction always reflects confusion or concern. Through my light research on the subject, I've found some polar opinions.
Have you ever left your shopping basket behind to grab something, and not pay much attention when you retrieve it, until you look down to unload your groceries onto the cashier's conveyor belt and realize your once full cart only has one thing in it, and you go looking for the cart you lost but have no idea how to return the one you stole back to it's original shopper, so you nonchalantly push it to the side?
.....Yeah, I did that and I'm not particularly proud. I feel like I lost a part of my life, actually. Straight up robbed. What was a I thinking about when I started pushing a cart that looked and felt nothing like mine? How could I not remember any of the last 10 minutes of my life? Did the person who's cart I stole see me do it and think it was funny so they didn't say anything to see how long it would take me to realize I was a fool? Was the person missing their cart just as confused as I was? Where did I even get the practically empty cart? Better yet, WHY COULDN'T I REMEMBER ANYTHING?!?!?! So many questions. So little answers.

source

On the same day, I visited the municipal court to pay for the stupid ticket my brother caused me to get and couldn't help but overhear other visitors conversing with the workers behind the glass. Without telling their stories, all I can say is I actually felt proud of myself among such company. I feel confident I was the easiest and most innocent customer they had all day. They guy that helped me was soooo super nice to, probably because I wasn't a huge pain in the ass and menace to society like everyone else seemed to be, or maybe because I had really short shorts on.......we'll never know.
And two days later my faith in humanity was even further nurtured by the sweetest merchant encounters everywhere I went. I should probably stay up for 24 hours wearing scrubs from the night before with frazzled hair and dark circles under my eyes more often for my errand running.....everyone probably thought I was still having to work while battling a terminal illness.
Happy Birthday, America, I hope you're proud.

P.S. Have you ever watched Portlandia? I love it; my new obsession right now besides vintage tiny camper trailers.


How do you feel about the banning bags to help preserve the environment?

The Best Medicine: Krause Springs Day 2

Continued from my posts about Jacob's Well, The Blue Hole, and Kruase Springs Day 1......

Laughter and adventure is great medicine, but so is being swallowed by the beautiful tranquility of nature.

Everything living harmoniously together, working in unison to sustain life, whispers peace. 

Thousands of years of endurance represent wisdom.

Even through it's very existence is often threatened, it trudges on with grace.

It doesn't fear wrinkles, it flaunts the characteristics that come with age like a trophy. 

Sometimes things that seem unbreakable collapse, but it's new path is embraced and adaptions take place.  

The microscopic circle of life is always diligently working to maintain homeostasis, even when the world appears to be still.

And while the humans are away, the wildlife will play. 

Sunday morning, while the majority of the campers were still sleeping off their hangovers or just rising to brush the cob webs off their teeth, Patrick and I explored the vacant swimming hole, enjoying the peacefulness of the morning and playing dangerously close to slyly looming vines of poison ivy.

It's amazing how differently a place can look on a desolate early morning as compared to a bustling Saturday afternoon. 

An important part about being an adult is never forgetting how to be a kid. 

Hide and seek, anyone?

Smacking on original flavor bubblicious gum and have bubble blowing competitions on the roots of a cypress at the base of a waterfall, anyone?

Obviously Patrick is way better at bubble blowing than I am.......along with whistling and playing the guitar and making fart noises with his ear. 

But I can stand still and pose......

Him? I have to catch him in a rare moment of being still, with the assistance of a fairly fast shutter time.

Satisfied we'd thoroughly explored our surroundings, but with unsatisfied stomachs, we headed back to the campground to make breakfast. 

Scrambled eggs with chopped cilantro and baby spinach paired with sliced avocado, thick apple-wood smoked bacon, and salsa was on the menu.  

Yes, we'd brought everything with us but the kitchen sink, including a iron skillet and a blow-up mattress to put under our sleeping bags, but managed to forget our pillows (which wouldn't have been a terrible thing had I not woken up with a crick in my neck)!!! I read somewhere that using a large plastic baggie and closing it full of air could serve as a small camping pillow, but that just sounded awfully ghetto and equally uncomfortable, so I thought I could manage without. 

Full and happy, we packed everything up in the cool morning breeze and headed to the spring for a day of leisurely activity. 

We snagged a stunning spot on the bank with a splendid combination of view/shade/sun, key factors in calculating the the coordinates of where to place a picnic blanket on the waterfront grid. 

I urged Patrick to get in the water first so I could analyze his face to gauge just how cold the water was.

He swam around for a bit and was looking too comfortable so I challenged him to be the first to swing from the rope. 

 

Watching people swing and jump from objects into the water never gets old.

There's a certain amount of pressure that comes with doing such things in front of bystanders, their eager eyes gravitate and fixate on the awkward arms and legs splayed in all directions, waiting to see what happens when a particular posture hits the chilly water awaiting it's disturbance. Will they flop? Will there be a big splash? Will they do anything amazing? Will they suddenly become scared of letting go and continue to hang on to the rope, not thinking about the consequences of swinging back in the other direction, causing their body to slam back into the rock (like we witnessed a little boy do while we were there)?

It's a funny thing, sitting  under a waterfall; you can never seem to get the water out of your eyes.

Thank goodness there weren't near as many people around on Sunday, or I'd have way too many people witness me flying through the air looking like a combination of a determined mutated Tarzan vs Wonder Woman with the unflattering crotch posture of Beyonce in that picture from her Super Bowl performance that keeps making an appearance on the Internet.

A couple of jumps off that rope and slippery climbs back up that over sized rock, and anyone in their right mind would be ready for a nap, so I climbed my way out to dry land with the handy help of some conveniently thirsty tree roots and joined Patrick in his relaxation zone.

Eventually, it was time to say our goodbyes to the Hill Country and head back to the city.

But before we left, we needed one more quick tree hug.

See ya later Krause Springs........

We'd later find out all the "soreness" Patrick was feeling from the rope jumping was actually bilateral twin black, blue, and purple bruises on his inner upper thighs/groin, too gruesome and personal for pictures. "It hurts more now that I saw what's down there," he moaned. Hey, at least you don't have a potentially broken foot like me, or have a crick in your neck from not having something to rest your head on at night since I donated the extra wing of our sleepingbags to you to roll up and use as a substitue, or come down with poisen ivy from our exploring, or hit your face on a rock like the poor chicken kid did, or lose all your stuff from your ice chest tumbling over like those several unfortunate souls we saw.

What about life serves as the "best medicine" for you?